Chicago City Guide: A Stronghold of Tasty Food

Chicago’s tradition of world-class restaurants goes back decades.‘The Windy City’ is famous for its upscale dining establishments such as Frontera Grill or Charlie Trotter’s – but also home to a plethora of restaurants that highlight the variety of its ethnic neighbourhoods. Once the nation’s meat counter, this metropolis of millions, situated on Lake Michigan, continues to this day to show a distinct preference for steaks and their ilk – traditional steak houses like Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris are legendary. Howard Riell takes you on a guided tour of selected Hot Spots on the city’s restaurant map.

“Chicago has always been a great restaurant town,” says FCSI Board Member Chris Bigelow, President of the Bigelow Companies, Inc. “Like most cities its immigrant population created some great ethnic dining, plus of course its stockyards produced some of the finest steaks and pork.” It is no coincidence that the annual National Restaurant Association show is held in The Windy City. Innovative restaurant groups like Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) and Levy Restaur ants use Chicago to try out new concepts, as do great chefs like Charlie Trotter. As one respected food blog noted, “Chicago has a large group of diverse eaters who are more interested in tasty food than good looking food, glamorous food... In Chicago when people go out they fantasize about the food. Out on the town in Chicago, you’re seeing a play? Great! Where’d you go for dinner? Congrats on your birthday/anniversary! Where’d you go for dinner? New York City may be myth but Chicago is food.”